ruined. Not only had they lost the leverage to secure the money, but whoever had freed them—probably American special forces—would be on the hunt for him now.
His throat was so tight he could barely choke the words out. "Who is responsible for this?"
59
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
One of his men shifted from one foot to the other. They all avoided his lethal gaze as he raked his eyes over them. With effort he reined in his temper. The anger morphed into an icy rage, far more dangerous. "Find out who did this," he commanded. "Then bring them to me."
Someone in the village had betrayed him, and he had a sickening feeling he knew who. They would pay dearly. It was not something he wanted to do, but he must make an example of them to prevent such actions in the future. The prospect sickened him.
"Post a reward for their capture," he snarled, his fury polluting the air around him like a poisonous cloud. "I want them hunted down like rabid dogs." Alive or dead, he didn't care what condition they were in so long as he got his hands on the traitors.
Day 4, Syrian desert
Afternoon
She'd slowed them down. She hated knowing that. Still weakened, she tired easily on the shifting sand. She was used to walking on sand—she lived right on the beach back home in Oregon—but she'd never done a forced march through a sandstorm while recovering from heatstroke and dehydration.
Dec didn't seem to be all that concerned about it, or he would have picked her up and thrown her over his wide shoulder like he had the night before. He really did cut a nice figure in his battle gear, she thought.
As though sensing her eyes on him, he turned to her over his shoulder, pulling the protective covering away from his face and mouth to yell at her over the ceaseless wind.
60
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
"Okay?"
Rather than wasting precious energy yelling, she nodded and gave him a thumbs-up. She felt like she weighed a thousand pounds. Even her hair felt like a lead weight at the back of her neck. She'd twisted it into a braid and tucked it into the back of her shirt to stop it from whipping around but it hung there, threatening to pull her head backward.
"We're almost to the cliffs—just another half mile."
Might as well be ten, in this weather. She gave him another thumbs-up and trudged on behind him. The two men carrying her father were second in line behind Dec, Spencer at her back, and the last four bringing up the rear. Her muscles trembled with exhaustion but she refused to quit, refused to complain. These men were risking their lives to help her and her father, and she would keep moving until her legs gave out before adding to their burden. And even then she would keep going. If she had to crawl, so be it.
She pushed on, lungs laboring as she leaned into the wind and forced her feet to move one step at a time. These guys were in amazing condition, but she shouldn't be surprised.
Her best friend's dad was a former SEAL, so she knew plenty about what they were capable of. Good and bad.
Nearing the end of her limit, she tripped and went down hard on her knees. Spencer was right there behind her to scoop her up, but she pushed away from him and stumbled on, her legs like jelly. She had to pull her own weight, like everyone else on the team. The wind calmed slightly, the sand thinning in the air as the protective wall of the towering cliffs came into view.
61
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
You can do this, she told herself sternly. Come on, Bryn, just a little farther. Suck it up. One foot in front of the other.
At last they stood at the base of the cliff.
Dec and the others began to dig out equipment while she collapsed on her butt, and someone handed her a canteen and a protein bar. She wolfed the bar down and with growing alarm she watched them work. She didn't see any caves anywhere, and the men appeared to be pulling out ropes and harnesses—
Wait a minute...after all that, did they expect her to
His throat was so tight he could barely choke the words out. "Who is responsible for this?"
59
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
One of his men shifted from one foot to the other. They all avoided his lethal gaze as he raked his eyes over them. With effort he reined in his temper. The anger morphed into an icy rage, far more dangerous. "Find out who did this," he commanded. "Then bring them to me."
Someone in the village had betrayed him, and he had a sickening feeling he knew who. They would pay dearly. It was not something he wanted to do, but he must make an example of them to prevent such actions in the future. The prospect sickened him.
"Post a reward for their capture," he snarled, his fury polluting the air around him like a poisonous cloud. "I want them hunted down like rabid dogs." Alive or dead, he didn't care what condition they were in so long as he got his hands on the traitors.
Day 4, Syrian desert
Afternoon
She'd slowed them down. She hated knowing that. Still weakened, she tired easily on the shifting sand. She was used to walking on sand—she lived right on the beach back home in Oregon—but she'd never done a forced march through a sandstorm while recovering from heatstroke and dehydration.
Dec didn't seem to be all that concerned about it, or he would have picked her up and thrown her over his wide shoulder like he had the night before. He really did cut a nice figure in his battle gear, she thought.
As though sensing her eyes on him, he turned to her over his shoulder, pulling the protective covering away from his face and mouth to yell at her over the ceaseless wind.
60
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
"Okay?"
Rather than wasting precious energy yelling, she nodded and gave him a thumbs-up. She felt like she weighed a thousand pounds. Even her hair felt like a lead weight at the back of her neck. She'd twisted it into a braid and tucked it into the back of her shirt to stop it from whipping around but it hung there, threatening to pull her head backward.
"We're almost to the cliffs—just another half mile."
Might as well be ten, in this weather. She gave him another thumbs-up and trudged on behind him. The two men carrying her father were second in line behind Dec, Spencer at her back, and the last four bringing up the rear. Her muscles trembled with exhaustion but she refused to quit, refused to complain. These men were risking their lives to help her and her father, and she would keep moving until her legs gave out before adding to their burden. And even then she would keep going. If she had to crawl, so be it.
She pushed on, lungs laboring as she leaned into the wind and forced her feet to move one step at a time. These guys were in amazing condition, but she shouldn't be surprised.
Her best friend's dad was a former SEAL, so she knew plenty about what they were capable of. Good and bad.
Nearing the end of her limit, she tripped and went down hard on her knees. Spencer was right there behind her to scoop her up, but she pushed away from him and stumbled on, her legs like jelly. She had to pull her own weight, like everyone else on the team. The wind calmed slightly, the sand thinning in the air as the protective wall of the towering cliffs came into view.
61
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
You can do this, she told herself sternly. Come on, Bryn, just a little farther. Suck it up. One foot in front of the other.
At last they stood at the base of the cliff.
Dec and the others began to dig out equipment while she collapsed on her butt, and someone handed her a canteen and a protein bar. She wolfed the bar down and with growing alarm she watched them work. She didn't see any caves anywhere, and the men appeared to be pulling out ropes and harnesses—
Wait a minute...after all that, did they expect her to
Similar Books
